Here's the Fox News interview where Bongino makes the statement. Listen to his tone, watch his eyes, assess his demeanor.
I'm noticing this verbal tic, this argument format: If X were true, I would have told you. It's an oft-expressed idea. It's the same idea as "Trust me" or "Would I lie?" But those are laughably ineffectual expressions these days.
I'm noticing this new effort at demanding trust. Kash Patel used it on Joe Rogan (talking about the Epstein video): "If there was a video of some guy — or gal — committing felonies — and I'm in charge — don't you think you'd see it?"
I'm paying attention to this after experiencing Tim Dillon's brilliant trashing of Patel. "They're doing 'Who's On First,'" with Joe as Costello and Kash as Abbott:
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75 comments:
….cute how we no longer accept what government is selling. It took Republicans to do that…
"the man who shot at Trump's ear."
He didn't shoot at Trump's ear.
The voters suspended their impatience and instead were vocal with their disbelief for the entire previous administration. Then they voted. Their expectation was that they would no longer have to wait patiently. Their expectation was that this administration would do as they promised. Empty pronouncements on Fox News of 'next week, just you wait, I promise' are not going to cut it. They have to deliver now, and keep doing it. If there's nothing there, they have to be transparent and respond to any and all FOIA requests with no foot-dragging, and make that the story.
Asking voters to 'be patient, just you wait' or other such falseness will signal to the voters that impeachments are preferable. They know how to vote for that, too. If the adminstration can't deliver, then the voters will split the halls of Congress to make sure that nothing gets done - even though that's a losing strategy.
"He didn't shoot at Trump's ear."
I didn't say he did.
I considered writing "The man who shot at Trump's head." I chose what I chose.
Trust me, bro.
Kash, in particular, is very fond of saying things like this:
"There is nothing in the FBI files that indicates anything except that Epstein killed himself."
No shit, Sherlock.
The FBI probably doesn't keep their incriminating evidence in their file cabinets, idiot.
I don't get the argument that the Trump administration is covering up the assassination attempt on Trump.
Why?
Faith in government, scientists, doctors, journolists, activists, etc. is a many splendored thing.
Yes you did. Who should we believe, you, or our lying eyes? You literally wrote that. "The man who tried to assassinate Trump.." FIFY
I'm saying we have a Border Patrol/police force capable of rounding up terrorist agents if that is the problem but we don't have an intellectual class that opposes terrorist ideologies if that is the problem. La trahison des clercs is Harvard's guiding star.
Bongino: "We have personally been briefed on every single detail, nugget, tendril of this case."
Let's unpack that bullshit:
He's saying they've been told - third hand - by someone else - what evidence there is, or isn't.
These guys are not conducting their own investigation of anything. They are relying on Deep Staters to tell them about the coverup.
Guess what: The people who did the coverup, or who planned the attempted murder of Donald Trump, ain't gonna tell you about it, Danno.
"I don't get the argument that the Trump administration is covering up the assassination attempt on Trump."
This statement, and ones like it, assume that every single person in the Trump administration (i.e. the federal government of 2.2 million employees) is a Trump supporter.
It is a non-sequitur. A logical fallacy. (Some people call this a non-starter.)
Not everyone in the Trump Administration wants Trump to be alive.
Bongino and Patel side-by-side is not a good look if you want to reassure people! They both have these overly alerted eyes. It's funny. If it were a movie, the audience would laugh at the 2 of them.
I don't think Trump ever has his eyes as wide open as these 2 men have their eyes permanently stuck.
Even 2 deer in the headlights don't look that frozenly alerted.
What explains it if not lying? Drugs? Just naturally having the same kind of eyes?
"What explains it if not lying? Drugs? Just naturally having the same kind of eyes?" Althouse is acting strangely this morning. (Heh™)
Question I asked Grok: "What drugs cause bulging eyes (or eyes that seem too wide open)?"
From the answer:
"Stimulants (e.g., amphetamines, cocaine, methamphetamine):
Stimulant drugs can cause a wide-eyed or “staring” appearance due to heightened sympathetic nervous system activity, which dilates pupils and keeps eyes open wider. This is more about the eyes appearing too wide open than true bulging (proptosis)."
"Bulging eyes (proptosis) or a wide-eyed appearance are not common side effects of drugs typically used by men to build muscle, but some muscle-building substances could indirectly contribute to these symptoms through hormonal or systemic effects. Below are the main categories of muscle-building drugs/supplements and their potential link to bulging eyes or a wide-eyed look: Anabolic Steroids (e.g., testosterone, Dianabol, Trenbolone): Connection to Bulging Eyes: Anabolic steroids can disrupt hormonal balance, including thyroid function, in rare cases. Excessive use may lead to conditions like hyperthyroidism or exacerbate pre-existing thyroid issues (e.g., Graves’ disease), which is a primary cause of bulging eyes due to tissue swelling behind the eyes. Steroids can also cause water retention and fat redistribution, potentially altering facial appearance, though true proptosis is uncommon.
"Wide-Eyed Appearance: Steroids can increase blood pressure and stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, potentially causing a staring or wide-eyed look due to pupil dilation or eyelid retraction, especially with high doses.
"Likelihood: Rare, but possible in individuals with underlying thyroid issues or extreme misuse."
If there is a big, explosive in the manosphere, the men would have told us....
In words?
" It's the same idea as "Trust me" or "Would I lie?"
my word, as a Biden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyo2o0bD57M
How do you explain the Progressives crazy eyes?? Is it drugs or is it just the crazy??
The Deep State is like the Borg. Resistance is futile. That would make anyone bug eyed.
Grave's Disease
the previous secret service director was part of the cheney's security detail, the ones who said trump was a threat to democracy, is it a coincidence his detail was barebones there was interference on coms from the first lady's quixotic rally in harrisburg, no that was not coincidence,
They both have that bug-eyed "trust me, bro" look on their faces that we all recognize as the look boyfriends have when they are gaslighting us.
And they keep relying on the fact that a different guy is being prosecuted for also attempting to shoot Trump (Ryan Routh) to not answer questions about the Secret Service's attempt to shoot Trump (Crooks).
The formula: "We can say X, but we can't answer any cross-examination follow-up questions because there's an open prosecution."
My, how very convenient.
of course, the plot seems to have taken elements from the lambrakis element in z, where an assasination attempt is portrayed as an incident, that happened in greece in 1963,
Excellent video. Thanks for posting. I find it fascinating how we went from the notion that the FBI is a deep state corrupt organization that should be burned to the ground (under Biden), to a patriotic organization that we should now all trust (under Trump).
Neither look like they are on drugs, that is a cheap slur. Look up Kash Patel images, and you will see that he consistently has this same appearance. The only unusual thing is that one eye is consistently slightly more closed than the other. Bongino likewise looks like this in multiple other pictures.
Dillon takes an awful long time to make a very simple point.
Isn't the real question: "Why don't they tell us why they can't tell us about stuff? Why don't they tell us why they can't answer obvious questions? (OK, two questions).
as with all things, the evidence is the key, show us what the bureau confiscated from epstein's estate,
If you're on Joe Rogan - I really don't care what you wear.
You can wear the Zelinksi suit, if you want to.
Every thing about the Epstein saga smells bad.
now chris wray was often on some hallucinagen based on his public statements and behaviors over the previous seven years,
We don’t know if Tim Dillon has bulging eyes because he wears ridiculous sunglasses. I don’t take him seriously.
this does illustrate my oft held view, that its not a swamp its a minefield with tripwires, you cut one like when trump removed comey for cause, all hell is unleashed,
Dillon asks some of these obvious Columbo questions, some don't even attempt to ask, so good for him
X is true because Y didn't happen. Its the weakest argument.
Ann Althouse said...
"He didn't shoot at Trump's ear."
I didn't say he did.
I believe you missed.
no he aimed for the head, and trump turned away at the last minute,
I like Bongino generally and he's had some interesting things to say in the past. But his employment background is not "trust me, I'll tell you the important stuff." It's "I'm really good at keeping important stuff quiet."
"Yes you did. Who should we believe, you, or our lying eyes? You literally wrote that."
Sorry. I didn't mean the extra "at" to be there. Will fix.
It was supposed to say " Patrick Crooks, the man who shot Trump's ear," not " Patrick Crooks, the man who shot at Trump's ear."
I remembered what I had intended when I edited from "Patrick Crooks, the man who shot at Trump's head." I changed "head" to "ear" but missed taking out the "at."
Apologies for not responding earlier.
Obviously, Crooks intended to shoot Trump squarely in the head, and by crazy chance or divine intervention, Trump moved while the bullet was in flight.
I chose "Patrick Crooks, the man who shot Trump's ear" to be extra short and factual. We all know what he intended.
"How do you explain the Progressives crazy eyes?? Is it drugs or is it just the crazy??"
There are a lot of these extra-wide eyes out there. I don't think it's a partisan issue. I think it's either a matter of drugs or it's insanity... unless you have on of those medical conditions.
Personally, I've always wondered if Kash Patel has a mild form of strabismus- back in my day it was called 'lazy eye'. Even after extensive therapy the eyes can sometimes seem a little misaligned. That's what I see when I look at him.
lonejustice said...
Excellent video. Thanks for posting. I find it fascinating how we went from the notion that the FBI is a deep state corrupt organization that should be burned to the ground (under Biden), to a patriotic organization that we should now all trust (under Trump).
Patel and Bongino are failing.
The FBI needs to be burned to the ground and eliminated.
Patel and Bongino are hiding shit from us.
Every time they start with these appeals to authority and trust us bro rants they get bug eyed. Those are straight up hostage videos.
If they keep pissing on our legs and telling us it is raining then it will end badly.
It is pretty obvious the one that needs to go under the polygraph is Patel.
Not everyone in the Trump Administration wants Trump to be alive.
You think Kash Patel wants Trump dead?
Are you basing this suspicion on his eyeballs?
The Deep State has won, Achilles.
Ann Althouse said...
"He didn't shoot at Trump's ear."
I didn't say he did.
I considered writing "The man who shot at Trump's head." I chose what I chose.
He tried to kill Trump. He wanted Trumps' head to explode on stage from a close range shot by a 223 round.
He obviously had support from inside our government.
We are tired of euphemisms and people trying to explain away the violence inherent in the actions of the left.
Stop trying to apologize for these people. Stop trying to pretend they are decent or that they are compatible with a free society.
There is currently a leftist insurrection going on in Los Angeles right now and we are finding out it is paid for by US tax dollars. Democrats used our tax money to import a foreign army into our country and they are paying for equipment and organization for these paramilitary forces to attack the institutions in our country.
This is the definition of treason.
Democrats are traitors.
Stop using words to hide this fact.
Howard said...
The Deep State has won, Achilles.
It looks like they have turned these 2 for sure.
But at most this is just a battle. The truth about Epstein being murdered is already out there. Everyone knows and these two bug eyed cowards can't cover it up. I am actually shocked that Patel is that bad at lying. I would have thought he would be trained better. But they wont stem the tide.
On X we are finding out that the LA riots are funded and organized by NGO's that got their money from the US government. We are finding out that the Democrat party literally imported, armed, and trained a foreign army to attack our country.
We never would have known this even 3 years ago. The information getting out is the key.
At this point Trump is the best deal these traitors will get.
Pinochet is inevitable if Trump fails.
Saint Croix said...
Not everyone in the Trump Administration wants Trump to be alive.
You think Kash Patel wants Trump dead?
Are you basing this suspicion on his eyeballs?
I think Patel grew up and lived his life in DC. He was groomed and trained to work in DC. He was a company man at the FBI and has a lot of friends.
For men when they go to war/martial conflict their loyalty is attached to the unit and specifically the other men around them.
Even more so than the entity/group they fought for. Particularly when we are used and abused by the people who sent us to war. If a ranger buddy called me up and said shit is going down I would be pretty likely to go put it down.
But in Patel's case I think he sees the organization and the people in it as his tribe. He is afraid for them.
I understand the sentiment. But I do not sympathize. If he obstructs and lies he belongs in jail with the other scumbags.
"You think Kash Patel wants Trump dead?"
Of course not. I think Kash Patel is doing a poor job. His job isn't to "be briefed" and to report back to us what he has been told.
Of course he's going to be briefed that all FBI investigations are totally on the up-and-up.
Kash has repeated said: There's nothing in the FBI files to suggest that Epstein was murdered.
But of course there wouldn't be, right? What kind of dumb ass statement is that? It's meaningless. The claim is that the FBI covered up Epstein's murder.
These sorts of statements are EXTREMELY REVEALING of the motives of Kash Patel. He's not trying to get to the bottom of anything. He is trying to do what every single FBI director before him has done: Protect the FBI at all costs.
That annoying Tim Dillon clown is pretty hard to watch but his "Who's on first" comparison bit was inspired. I have a 6 y/o grandson who's a better liar than Patel is here.
Ann Althouse said...
Bongino and Patel side-by-side is not a good look if you want to reassure people! They both have these overly alerted eyes.
"The eyes, Chico. They never lie."
Althouse said...
What explains it if not lying? Drugs? ...Question I asked Grok: "What drugs cause bulging eyes (or eyes that seem too wide open)?"
Or, what about...
"Our tight slacks, which give us great bulges!"
Bongino is former police and high-ranking security service for Bush II and Obama, and he's a principled man. I spent some time with him years ago during his Maryland campaigns. He has normal eyes, maybe a bit extruded from early thyroid issues. That can look very exaggerated on tv. I jave that problem too. Immune diseases requiring steroids can exaggerate this effect. Why didn't anyone think of steroids used to treat dozens of medical issues? Look at Sotomayor. I'm sure she has kidney disease from longtime type 1 diabetes. A transplant needing steroids or failing kidneys creates that pattern of cheek and eye puffing. This isn't like Biden obviously having dilated eyes during brief appearances. Patel, too, seems to have some thyroid condition. It's their business. Biden's was not.
Zombie Marty Feldman objects to all these disparaging comments about bulging eyes. They make him feel like Abbie Normal.
Am I losing my noodle of was Patrick Crooks the Supreme. court Justice and Thomas Crooks the alleged assassin?
Since Kash is such a fan of the polygraph, lets see him take one live about these subjects. Show us the live data from it and that would be a lot more believable than these vague assurances (the same thing these guys said wasn't believable before they were hired)
The claim is that the FBI covered up Epstein's murder.
Well, there was kind of a bait-and-switch. The original post was about the Thomas Crooks assassination attempt. Dave Begley (that troublemaker) said that he didn't trust the NYT. And I said (this is a little embarrassing) that I trust our attorney general. And that set Althouse off, because of his eyeballs, and the suspicious Epstein death.
And then the two damn conspiracies copulated on the internet, and somehow we got a brand new conspiracy on the Althouse blog that Kash Patel and the FBI are covering up a conspiracy to assassinate Donald Trump.
So, let me be perfectly clear (joke), what I was mocking was the idea that Kash Patel and the FBI are covering up a plot to assassinate Trump. Based on his eyeballs, you don't like his eyeballs.
Really stupid conspiracy theory + incredibly stupid eyeball lie detector analysis = a beyond absurd thread on the Althouse blog. Okay?
It happens once in a blue moon, what the hell.
As to whether politicians lie, yeah, they do. Is Epstein's death suspicious? Yeah! I was suspicious on day one!
Are there possible reasons the Trump administration doesn't want to release the Epstein files? Of course. Is it possible Kash tells lies to the American people? Sure. That's not an eyeball thing. Even people with normal eyeballs, or half-closed eyelids, lie. It's like a thing with humanity.
kash worked for nunes who is one of the most ethical congressmen, so he certainly has the right intent
I would have been more unequivocal on the matter, Epstein was probably used by more than one intelligence service,
because of his international contracts, American British French et al,
when whitey bulger was no longer useful, he was transferred to a prison in west virginia, where there was little scrutiny so another hood took him out,
I think Kash Patel is doing a poor job.
Okay, so what you are saying is that Kash Patel is honest when he says that there was no conspiracy to kill Trump. He's just wrong. There was a conspiracy and he can't find it.
I have read elsewhere that the FBI has dramatically increased the usage of the lie detector recently. Which is of dubious validity, but certainly it's a bit more valid that "eyeballs look funny."
"Why did you fire him from the FBI?"
"His eyeballs looked funny."
what's that john dunne line 'none dare call it treason if treason doth prosper' we have seen plenty of examples where treason doth profit mightily,
take an example of alger hiss, gru recruited agent, convicted of perjury, but not the actual treason, his reputation protected by a 'body guard of lies' in the press, which fanned the lawfare against nixon, and the contempt against chambers, even nearly half a century, Volgonokov, gave him an out, and the declassified venona cables finally told the truth,
Saint Croix said...
And then the two damn conspiracies copulated on the internet, and somehow we got a brand new conspiracy on the Althouse blog that Kash Patel and the FBI are covering up a conspiracy to assassinate Donald Trump.
So, let me be perfectly clear (joke), what I was mocking was the idea that Kash Patel and the FBI are covering up a plot to assassinate Trump. Based on his eyeballs, you don't like his eyeballs.
Actually it is about the fact that with years of combat that include extensive training and field experience infiltrating into positions to shoot other people I have concluded that Crooks cannot get to that spot and take that shot at Donald Trump without help from the Secret Service.
And the FBI was also pretty obviously involved. Their "investigation" led to nothing.
I am also curious about the Nevada shooter who sat in a hotel room shooting for over an hour at people locked in a country concert.
It is pretty clear that the FBI is a criminal organization. They didn't take out the mafia to reduce crime. They were taking out competition.
I do wonder about the contrast between anslinger and hoover,
he dealt with the drug rackets, hoover wanted to avoid the latter because of the consequences that we saw in the bulger case,
to a patriotic organization that we should now all trust (under Trump).
It would be helpful if you could point to anybody writing or saying that here. Other than you.
If Bongino and Kash were being as open and honest as they can be right now, would it look any different than this?
they tried firing the 5000 agents that were involved in th J6 investigation the courts stopped it,
“ Am I losing my noodle of was Patrick Crooks the Supreme. court Justice and Thomas Crooks the alleged assassin?”
LOL
Thanks
Fixed
narciso,
"Treason doth never prosper;
what's the reason?
For if it prosper,
none dare call it treason"
-John Harington
Your noodle was lost a long time ago, DeeDee.
Never to be found…
Jack Elam called… he wants his eyes back.
“Trust me bro” only works if you can point to a history of acting against interest. Bongino has a lot of trust but he’s using it up quickly.
"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. "
John 14:2
It doesn't speak well of Althouse that she based her perceptions on people's eyes.
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